Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["art corbit" <art_c@cox.net>]

Hi Paul,

I haven't said anything yet but this rain water collection and storage has
been mentioned a few times. I just want to caution people to be very careful
with rain water storage especially under ground. Over time it can develop
some real bad little buggers that will make you real sick.

In times past these "Cisterns" as they were called were widely used and
became one of the major sources for Typhoid and some other bad diseases.
Just for watering the garden or the animals it is fine but not for drinking.
I guess I probably need to post some plans for a simple solar still for pure
drinking water just in case someone should have a need for it.

Art in Arkansas


----- Original Message -----
From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 12:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] "Living on the Land" in hard core perspective


>
> We were counting on finally meeting Carla Oct. 10 at a hole in the road
> called Datil, NM near us.  It was cancelled and she passed the next day.
We
> were stunned. Can someone ever can take her place? We realized it will
take
> a lot of someones, and that's what we hope to encourage locally and
through
> this list in coming days. We see folks  posting right here who, whether
> they realize it or not, are going to be in great demand as teachers
> demonstrating how to get groceries from the ground (what a concept ... ).
> And this is tremendously encouraging to us.
>
> Steve, you made the point it takes a lot of $$$ to get set up for off-grid
> living. And We're fixed income here, some of those ordinary folks who
can't
> afford all the "appropriate technology" to go off-grid. So here's our
> challenge:  how best to go off-grid with home and market garden.  And, how
> far off-grid. Again, I expect gradual decline with prices of everything
> becoming less and less affordable.
>
> We'll need to use the utilities to get set up while it's still affordable.
> Electricity for irrigation, private well on one acre. Buy Portland for
soil
> cement for raised bed walls (my back isn't going to cooperate for bending
> much longer). For the garden and greenhouse (yet to be rebuilt) we still
> have to set up rainwater collection and in ground storage (more soil
> cement). And we'll need the most moisture-retentive growing soil we can
> make, to reduce irrigation - compost, humus, mycorrhizae-forming cover
> crops. And need to make the best possible use of cover crops in soil
> building and weed control, as you pointed out.  There's a brush chipping
> operation near us for loads of free mulch, so no-till is a no-brainer
here.
>
>
> This area was thriving years ago producing flour, beans, and other staples
> and had a railroad line to ship them out. No more. Just as well, we'll
need
> to consume what we can produce right here. The old pickup burns too much
> gas getting to the farmers markets.
>
> paul, tradingpost@riseup.net
> ---------------
>
> On 7/20/2006 at 12:32 AM Steve Diver wrote:
>
> >Greetings Art -
> >
> >Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and the perspective
> >on your own life.  I'm sorry you lost your wife, and
> >faced that kind of "downsizing".   But it sounds like
> >you're adjusting and ready for the next phase.  Good luck.
> >
> >In the 70s there was a huge back-to-the-land movement
> >and the feeling was there would be an economic collapse.
> >The collapse never came but a lot of people earned skills
> >with landcare, gardening, and homesteading in the process.
> >
> >Carla Emory had me on her Internet radio program
> >about three years ago, and then two years ago I
> >finally met her in person at the Small Farm Conference
> >in Missouri.  She gave an entertaining and educational
> >workshop on homesteading.  She was a pioneer
> >in the homesteading movement and right up to her
> >untimely passing earlier this year she lived a simple life
> >dedicated to sharing her skills and knowledge with others.
> >
> >I've got friends all over AR and MO that are living
> >on the land and growing gardens, but few people
> >are truly living "off the grid."   It frankly takes a lot
> >of $$ to buy all the technology and gadgets that
> >enable that kind of lifestyle, far beyond the reach
> >of working class and fixed-income folk.    I guess
> >we'll figure out the essential aspects of self sufficiency
> >real fast if a collapse becomes reality.
> >
> >But in the meantime there are supplies and
> >skills that people can acquire to prepare for
> >a collapse scenario.  Preserving food is
> >just as important as growing food.
> >
> >In addition to a few key garden tools to
> >prepare and plant into soil, I realized that
> >a scythe will be an important hand tool for
> >cutting hay and straw to use as mulch, lots
> >and lots of mulch.
> >
> >Take care,
> >Steve Diver
> >
> >
> >art corbit wrote:
> >
>
>
>
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